Rep. DiZoglio To Push Mandating Detox Time for Narcan Recipients

Methuen State Representative Diana DiZoglio says she is ready to draft and introduce legislation which would require drug addicts who are given the life saving drug NARCAN, to be committed for 15 – 30 days in a detox or treatment facility. DiZoglio made the revelation on Valley Patriot publisher Tom Duggan’s Paying Attention TV Podcast.

Narcanis a drug used by first responders on people who die of an opioid overdose. Once administered, Narcan literally brings the overdose victim back from the dead.

Police chiefs from four communities appeared on the program previously and said the one thing that the legislature could do to help the opioid crisis is mandatory treatment for addicts.

“I asked them all,” Duggan told DiZoglio, “if you could waive a magic wand and get some help from the legislature on this opioid crisis what would it be?

They said, ‘listen when we go out there and Narcan someone they go to the hospital and they can check themselves out, and three hours later we are Narcanning them again. If the legislature could pass a law making it mandatory for 15-30 days to go get treatment, it gives the families a break, it gives the cops a break, and it and it gives the persona’s body a chance to detox. Is that something you would introduce for our chiefs and our cops?”

“Absolutely, and I did previously introduce something similar to that with Chief Solomon. So, I am in full agreement with all the chief’s who said that. Too many time what happens is that you have somebody go in, they have the issue with overdosing, they wake them up, get them out of the overdose, and as soon as they can get up on their own two feet, they are out there looking for that high again.”

Tom Duggan is president and publisher of The Valley Patriot Newspaper in North Andover, Massachusetts. He is an author, host of the Paying Attention TV/Radio Program, lectures on media bias and police issues, is a former Lawrence School Committeeman, former political director for Mass. Citizens Alliance, and a 1990 Police Survivor.
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